Well, this was excellent.

A lovely, creepy, supernatural concept centred around a delicious female villain, spanning a wide time period.

The antagonist, who goes by many names, but I'll use "E" as it's the one that comes to mind, is central to the success of the story. She is a frightening character, and a conduit for something even more frightening, but she also has depth, and the reader understands her motivations, even if she is repulsive in many ways.

The story is told through a series of tales relating to E's victims across the decades, with some of these sections more stand-out than others. The author expertly drip-feeds more information about the mysterious E as the novel continues, and I was satisfied with the answers provided towards the end.

The ending wasn't quite what I wanted, but it didn't take away from the overall quality.

My main gripe with the book is the lack of speech marks around dialogue. I find this constantly frustrating in modern novels and as ever, it caused some confusion over who was speaking at various points.

But overall, I greatly enjoyed this; it was a cracking, creepy thriller.

Having just missed their flight from Japan, Jake and another passenger, Mariko, share dinner and a few drinks. With her guard down Mariko tells Jake about the last few weeks of her late bother’s life. It’s an unsettling and inexplicable tale which completely horrifies Jake, all the more so since it sounds exactly like the last few weeks of his friend Lena’s life, and seems to involve an appearance by the same, weirdly captivating, woman.

Determined to find out how such an aberration can be anything but singular, Jake starts to follow the few slender threads available to him.

And we’ll leave the plot there…

I must confess, I’m not generally a horror reader, and this book is certainly horror-adjacent, though it is a truly multifaceted novel.

Old Soul has a fascinating premise, one which is brilliantly utilised by Barker to explore the complexity of human nature, with its dichotomies of love and ambivalence, and its drive for self preservation.

The book is a masterclass in how to structure, pace, and maintain momentum within a rich multi-layered, multi-character story. Revelations are delivered across the split narrative and timelines with expert timing; you are always learning more, and there’s always more to learn. We rarely get ahead of the characters, which is a really effective way to keep us in a state of fear and trepidation: we share their dread and stupefaction.

When a book has such a high concept behind it, the cynic in me is always wondering when it will run out of steam, unable to sustain the idea beyond the first few chapters. No such worries here. Old Souls is so well written, so confidently executed, populated with memorable and convincing characters. Barker stokes the mood of malignancy throughout, delivering an affecting and consistent conclusion.

This book gave me nightmares, and I quickly added Barker’s previous novel The Incarnations to my wish-list. It sounds equally ambitious and compelling .

It’s giving Addie Larue vibes but with more of a horror aspect. This book was incredibly weird, not in a bad way but not necessarily good either. I will say the author is not afraid of a harsh ending.

OLD SOUL is a provocative and stunning novel, lush and atmospheric writing. It is transporting with gothic and horror undertones.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6836285018

Could not put this down. Super creepy, atmospheric horror that genuinely left me slightly scared to switch off the light at night, and a cracking plot as well. A very solid 4.5 stars and would have been five were it not for a tiny bit of disappointment over the ending. But overall brilliant and thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Despite my best intentions, I could not get into this book. Apologies for not finishing. Thank you for the opportunity though.

Oh, this is so spooky. It’s going to give me nightmares. The story involves the mysterious dark haired woman who appears various times across the centuries and in different parts of the world to different people. She then makes an image of them and shows it to them. What happens to them next is terrifying a die in brutal fashions in ways that were not easily explained.
The novel is set in various places East Germany, Japan and USA Anne And varying times across the centuries . The only factor apparently tying up the deaths is the presence of the mysterious woman.
The author is expert at building up tension I felt really quite tense and excited whilst I was reading and couldn’t put it down
The tyrant with a capital T is terrifying
Eeak his is so creepy I’m reading it from behind the sofa with my hands in front of my eyes metaphorically speaking
As well as a spooky bit there are some bits of total normal reality which are interesting to read and Mel seamlessly with the magical reality elements of the story.I enjoyed reading the process of sculpting a granite bust
I’d recommend this novel for those that enjoy a creepy atmospheric read I would’ve thought that fans of Stephen King novels would enjoy this book
I read an early copy of the book on NetGalley UK. The book is published on the 6th of February 2025 by Penguin General UK.
This will appear on Goodreads, NetGalley UK and my book blog bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com. After publication will appear Amazon UK.

Despite this being a genre I wouldn't usually read, Old Soul kept me entertained and delivered an intriguing story at pace. Indeed, I'd call it a page-turner! Plenty of mysteries to get muddle over, multiple time lines and story lines, each one nicely coming to life. It's well written with generally good characterisation. Something I could easily imagine turning into a somewhat bleak and disturbing horror/thriller movie.

This was a really good ride! From the beginning, I was both hooked and confused (in the best way), and throughout the story, I had my thoughts and my guesses, but while I got close, I never managed to unravel the truth.

I particularly enjoyed the uniqueness of the relationships with the mysterious woman that each character had.

I was pleased to see that no one was safe within this story- I don’t see that too often. When I do, it adds a sense of being unsettled each time a character I like comes into contact with something scary- an added chance at a thrill!

The ending felt a tiny bit rushed to me, like the author knew what was going to happen and decided to get it over with! I can see why, it was heartbreaking. But I still would’ve liked to see a little more depth from what the characters were experiencing at the end.

Thank you so much to Susan Barker and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree for generously allowing me an earn to review.

Old Soul by Susan Barker is a gripping and atmospheric novel that blends dark psychological elements with a sense of eerie suspense. The story follows Jake, whose quest to unravel the mysterious death of his childhood friend leads him on a haunting journey across various lives, all connected by a shadowy woman. Barker masterfully shifts perspectives, weaving together the stories of different characters as Jake follows this enigmatic trail.

While the novel has moments of slow pacing, its character-driven nature keeps readers invested, each new voice revealing a piece of a much larger puzzle. The prose is haunting and meditative, creating a dreamlike quality that lingers long after the last page. Barker’s ability to evoke sympathy for even the most disturbing characters is impressive, adding emotional depth to the thriller elements.

This was basically custom-made for me which makes this all the more difficult to review. This might just be a gush.
Impeccable choice of shifting perspectives, the revelations were perfectly paced, my sympathies were played with and changed throughout. The prose worked very well for me. I found this creepy (especially in the beginning) and exhilarating to read. I am so glad to have picked this up and I hope many more people will do so as well.

This was an unusual pick for me but I fancied a change so gave it a go. Surprisingly I really enjoyed it! The storyline was sufficiently menacing to keep me reading but not too gory that I couldn’t finish. I could really see this being made into a film.

Old Soul by Susan Barker is a novel I would not have normally picked up with the description of literary horror. And, I did find that after about 45 pages I put it down, just could not follow let alone understand what I was in fact reading.

But there is something about this novel that made me want to continue and few days later I decided to start again.

The story is of one woman wanting to stay alive at all costs, travelling the world and changing her name as she goes.

Jake followers her trail and gathers testimonies from troubled souls that have encountered this woman.

In New Mexico, Jake comes across a sculptor who knows her better than anyone, may just know who this woman is and how to find her.

It is a story that is dark, grim and yes, romantic, though I would not describe it as a novel of romance nor would I say the horror content is very strong.

However this work is very well written. It is irresistible and compelling, exciting and unnerving, totally exhilarating.

The best novel of my reading year?

Well yes, so much so that Old Soul sits in my number 1 spot of all time favourites, having replaced a book that had been there for some years.

Books like this don't come along often.

A totally absorbing and page turning novel, a must read that took Susan Barker 8 years to complete.

I am so pleased that I picked up the novel again for the reward was beyond my expectations.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Penguin General Uk - Fig Tree for this advance copy in return for my honest review.

I’m a third of the way through this book and I have no clue as to what it’s about! There are no plot lines that I can decipher and I don’t know if it’s a thriller, a mystery it definitely wasn’t a comedy because there was nothing funny in what I’ve read so far. I didn’t get to know the characters or what they stood for, or where they were going. There are a few names that are given but, that’s about it and some of the characters die, but for no apparent reason and there’s one dying or decomposing with no reasoning as to why or how. There’s even the obligatory sex scene and I have no idea who is having sex with who because there are no names mentioned. There are no speech quotes anywhere, so you have no idea who is speaking about what and to whom and a lot of the reading time is spent trying to figure out what speeches are being made.

I thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early but, I really did not enjoy it at all and I’m very sorry, but for that reason I’m giving it a one star. They need to go back to the drawing board with this one and start over before the release date or maybe even push that back.

Jake still feels guilt and grief 10 years after the death of his childhood friend Lena. In a chance meeting with a Japanese woman he realises that the circumstances of her twin brother's death were eerily similar - a meeting with a young woman, the taking of a picture and then a death or disappearance.. Jake begins to track down and catalogue an increasing number of similar cases, spread across continents and time. As he gets closer to the truth he wants revenge - but will he be strong enough to overcome the dark forces? As a detective story its a good plot and very readable, but the supernatural element turns it into a sort of horror/fantasy genre that doesn't quite do it for me.

*** Thank you NetGalley and Penguin General for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own ***

Old Soul by Susan Barker is a haunting and hypnotizing read. We follow the main protagonist, Jake, in his quest to uncover the truth behind the mysterious circumstances of his childhood best friend’s death. As his interviews with similarly grief-stricken individuals progress, the threads of their stories start weaving a dark and menacing tapestry at the centre of which stands a woman. Maybe Jake is not the main protagonist of the story after all, but a mere character in hers.

Old Soul is primarily character-driven. Though at times slow, the story pulls you in and does not let go – an apt mirroring of the force at the heart of the novel. The story crafted through the interviews manages to remain interesting thanks to the fresh perspective and personality of each character. The pace is controlled and the story unfolds satisfyingly until its shocking climax.

There is a strange, meditative, and dreamlike quality to Barker’s novel. Appropriately, it is many things, constantly reinventing itself along the way. Old Soul is a feverish road trip, a meditation on loss and grief, a slow-burn thriller against the backdrop of the Badlands, and – in more ways than one – a love story.

I was on edge the whole time I was reading this, and the writing style was so beautiful, but I did struggle with aspects of the dialogue as I sometimes find it hard to follow, but it is overall a good read and would be enjoyed by any horror fan!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was really hopeful for this book. A soul-stealing entity that infects people and slowly chews them up from the inside out sounds like my idea of a fun Friday night. Alas, this book was just not a good one for me. I think the prose got a little too caught up in itself and it ended up meaning that the story got lost in itself.

There's a fine line between poetic and losing the meaning in words, and this book tilted a bit into the latter for me this time. It's a shame, because the concept was great, but sadly this book just didn't deliver on the scare for me. I also found it really hard to connect to the characters, particularly given I felt I should have had more sympathy for them but just could not summon it up.

Squirming in fear i read into the night until i got so scared i had to put it down until morning light. Fear factor 10/10 so imaginative and thrilling all the way through. Very original i really enjoyed it.

I was intrigued by the cover of this book and the first chapter had me hooked. It’s a complex story moving between different characters but with each one linked in some way. The stories of the different characters are interspersed with the story of the Old Soul. I found that made t slightly difficult to follow at times, and I was getting a bit mixed up as to what was happening. However, I was quickly drawn in to the plot and once I got my stride I found it a book that I just wanted to keep reading

The device of different characters stories meant that it moved along at a pace, and made it easy to read in small chunks of time.


It’s not easy to make you feel sympathy for a monster but this book did that.